International Rescue Committee Vacancy for a Deputy Director of Program

International Rescue Committee – Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee is a prominent international organization working in relief, rehabilitation, protection, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression.

IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In early 2014, IRC opened a field office in Mubi town of Adamawa state in NE Nigeria. IRC has ECHO, OFDA, and Gates funds to respond to health, nutrition, GBV, and WASH activities. In September 2014, IRC received additional funds to carry out emergency food distributions, shelter support, and NFI distributions to newly displaced IDPs in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state. IRC also received funds to carry out a child protection rapid assessment and program start up activities.

International Rescue Committee is recruiting to fill the position of:
Job Title: Deputy Director of Program

Location: Nigeria
Sector: Program Management
Employee Type: Regular
Employee Category: Full Time
Background
Nigeria is confronted with many challenges that affect its human security and development [1] including: political corruption, conflict, climate change, poverty and weak governance. With a population of over 160 million, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and accounts for 47% of West Africa’s population. Despite its middle income status, Nigeria possesses a stark dichotomy of wealth and poverty. Although the country is rich in natural resources – the 6th largest producer of oil in OPEC, its economy cannot meet the basic needs of the people. Nigeria is a rich country with grinding poverty and deprivation – 64% of the population lives on less than $1 a day. Such disparity between the growth of the GDP and the increasing poverty is indicative of a skewed distribution of Nigeria’s wealth.

The country faces considerable security threats with implications to national and regional stability-an Islamist insurgency in the northeast and renewed instability in the Niger Delta. The Boko Haram, which translated from Hausa means “Western education is forbidden”, is a militant Islamist political movement located in northeast Nigeria that is not afraid to use violence to achieve its aims. The movement is fighting for a fundamentalist revival, forbids interaction with the Western World and seeks to establish Sharia law throughout the country.

The group is known for targeting civilians, suicide and other bombings and attacking schools. Due to the conflict, in mid May 2013 President Goodluck declared a state of emergency in 3 of the northeast states-Borno, Yobe and Adamawa-deploying Nigerian Armed Forces to the area. The situation has further deteriorated since then. The IRC in Nigeria has rapidly scaled up since setting up initial programs in 2013 and, particularly in the last 12 months. Since October 2015, IRC has had its main office in Abuja as well as three field offices in the NE part of the country including Yola, Mubi (both in Adamawa state) and Maiduguri (Borno state). IRC also has multi-sector emergency response programming in the NE including health, nutrition, WASH, shelter and NFIs, education, and various protection work. The country office grants portfolio includes a diversity of donors and partners as well.

Scope of the Position

The Deputy Director of Programs is responsible for the supervision and support of all of the IRC’s program activities, and, together with the Country Director, will lead the strategic development of the country program.

The position requires considerable travel to the field sites and Abuja.

Working under the supervision of the Country Director, s/he is expected to take the lead in planning, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all the IRC program initiatives.

S/he will directly supervise sector Coordinators and the Grants Unit, and indirectly a number of other program staff in the field.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership to IRC programs and staff;

Ensure that strong and regular coordination takes place between all internal stakeholders, and that IRC is appropriately represented at external coordination fora, and to external stakeholders.

Lead the implementation of IRC Nigeria’s Strategy Action Plan by ensuring proposals are designed around identified strategic outcomes, staff members apply the outcomes and evidenced framework, and the country program is meeting its strategic targets.

Ensure that all programming is designed, managed and implemented in a timely and high-quality manner, according to pre-established work plans, and that program decisions are based on reliable and accurate data;

Provide overall supervision and support for all program staff, including direct supervision of sector coordinators and grants management staff;

Requirements

Degree in Development, International Relations, Social Work, or other relevant field;

At least five years of international program management experience, including in post-conflict settings;

Knowledge of key donor policies and regulations, including USAID, ECHO, UN agencies, and other European government donor agencies;

Strong communication and inter-personal skills; must be a strong team player;

Excellent written and verbal skills in the English language;

Willingness to travel frequently to remote program locations.

Extensive international experience implementing programs in conflict or post-conflict regions with a demonstrated knowledge of transitioning relief programs to post-emergency recovery;

Experience working in a multi-cultural setting and in preference in Africa

Demonstrated experience and knowledge of participatory techniques and methodologies;

Demonstrated experience in project design and use of project design tools;

Demonstrated experience in supervising expatriate and national staff, and in mentoring of national staff; strong commitment to staff capacity development;

Housing:

The DDP position is an unaccompanied position and will be based in Yola, Adamawa state of the NE in shared housing with cleaning and cooking provided.

Basic utilities and internet are also provided at the shared guesthouse.

Safety & Security Situation:

All international Staff must comply with all IRC Nigeria security policies and procedures.

This also results in increased suicide bombings and attacks on rural villages by Boko Haram.

There is also a risk of kidnapping in the Lake Chad Basin region of internationals, but NE Nigeria specifically has not had any incidences of kidnapping in recent history.

The situation in the NE is secure in larger cities where IRC bases are located, but rural parts of Borno and northern Adamawa state are inaccessible due to the presence of Boko Haram.

As such, there are security risks due to the on-going offensives by the Nigerian military in the NE as they seek to decrease Boko Haram presence.